Fall of a Broken Angel
by Bards of Bedlam
Summary: Harumi and Tatsuya are married, Rei is a famous racer, and Kira is a worldrenowned artist. But nothing is perfect, and Kira becomes living proof of that when a meeting with a drunk motorcyclist leaves her in a coma. Angels Series Part I
1. Fallen

Okay, guys. This is only the second fic I've ever written without a co-authoress. It's also my first fic that hasn't featured Yu Yu Hakusho. So this one might be a little rough. However, it must be done, because I like to finish what I start. So as Benjamin Franklin once said, "Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst. We're going to war!"

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**Chapter 1—Fallen **

"Rei?"

Silence.

"Rei!"

No answer.

"REI KASHINO, WAKE UP!!!"

"Wha?"

"You were supposed to be at the track twenty minutes ago!"

"What? No, that's not possible….I set the clock for 7:00 so I would be at the track by 8:15, so…."

Kira shoved the alarm clock in her husband's face, and said husband yelped and jumped out of bed. "Damn it!"

So began another morning in the Kashino home. Kira watched fondly as Rei scurried around the room, cursing a blue streak and looking for his clothes. "Kira, have you seen my—?"

"Your watch is in on the bathroom sink," Kira replied.

"Thanks. And where's my—?"

"I washed your jacket and hung it on the chair."

"Oh, and do you still have my—?"

"I sewed the button back on and put it back in the closet."

"Okay, and what time—?"

"The gallery closes at five and it'll be closed tomorrow, Friday, and for all of Thanksgiving weekend."

"Okay, so when—?"

"We're meeting Tatsuya and Harumi at six thirty for dinner, and _wear something nice_."

"Where are we—?"

"We're eating down at the new café on the corner by the art supply store."

"Okay, I'll see you tonight, so call me if you actually need me to finish a sentence for you." Rei spoke quickly as he kissed Kira on the cheek and bolted out the door.

"Will do, and pick up something to eat on your way to the track!" Kira called after him. Then, with a sigh, she got up off the bed and started to make breakfast for herself.

It had been eight years since Kira and Rei had gotten married, and they had been the best years of Kira's life so far. She couldn't remember a time when she'd felt this happy, or this safe. Even when her mother had died seven years ago when her liver failed, Kira hadn't felt hopeless or alone as most people did when a loved one died. Rei had been there for the diagnosis, the funeral, and everything in between.

Kira giggled suddenly as she shook herself out of her thoughts. "Being silly…." she muttered as she set a skillet on the stove and began to make scrambled eggs.

XXX

"Eight years…." Harumi sighed. "Kira got married eight years ago today…."

"You're such a hopeless romantic," Tatsuya teased. "You're never this sentimental on _our_ anniversary."

"That's because Kira's my friend, and _you're_….you," Harumi replied.

"You're so cold."

"You know it."

Tatsuya reached out and took Harumi's hand. "So what time are we meeting the awkward couple?"

"Six, and they aren't so awkward anymore, ya know."

"Sure, whatev—"

"Rumi!"

Tatsuya and Harumi turned, and both of them smiled as Kira came running up to them., trying to juggle six shopping bags and a take-out cup of coffee. "Hey, guys," she greeted them brightly, just as she began to overbalance and fell into Tatsuya, who in turn took four of the bags. Keeping two for himself, he handed the other two to Harumi.

"What the heck did you buy?" Harumi demanded. "These things way a ton!"

"And a half," Tatsuya added.

Kira laughed. "Sorry! I'd originally planned to pick up a loaf of bread and some eggs, but on my way back home I passed the art supply store and there was a new pastel set in the window and it was in this really pretty leather case and you know what happens when I see new pastels and since I needed a new set anyway I went in to buy them and then I found a pad of sketching paper with this really pretty design on the front and I remembered I was almost out of sketching paper too so I got three of them and before I knew it I was walking up to the counter with all this and Rei's gonna kill me because I bought all this stuff and forgot the bread and the eggs but he never stays mad at me for more than half a minute so I figure it'll be fine."

Harumi laughed. "Kira?"

"Yeah?"

"Breathe."

Kira laughed again. "Right. Breathing now. Sorry, I'm just so happy today!"

"You're always happy during the holidays," Tatsuya said, laughing. "Well, c'mon, my car's just down the street. We'll throw this stuff in the trunk and go to the new coffeehouse. We've got time to kill before we have to meet Rei."

"Um…no, that's all right," Kira replied after a moment. "I think I just want to go home and get ready for tonight. See you guys later."

"Okay," Harumi replied. "You sure you don't want a ride?"

"I'm sure, but can I have a huge favor, Tatsuya?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Can I borrow your car? These bags weigh a ton, like Rumi says, and I feel like my arms are about to fall off. And since you live just down the street you can walk home and take your motorcycle to the restaurant tonight and I can drop your car off in the morning and get a ride to work with Miki."

"Um…sure." Tatsuya smiled at her and tossed her the keys.

Taking her bags back, Kira ran off down the street, dropping her coffee into a garbage can. "Thanks! See you at six!"

XXX

It happened before Kira had even made it to the end of the street. As she glanced into the rearview mirror, a motorcycle careened around the corner in front of her, swerving crazily. Without thinking, Kira yanked the wheel as hard as she could to the left to avoid hitting the motorcyclist, and the wall of a building came into her vision. She tried to maneuver the car back to the road, but there wasn't time. She felt the car crash headlong into the wall. The front of the vehicle crumpled, glass shattered, and Kira felt herself flying forward…

XXX

"All right, Rei!" Akitaka slapped Rei heartily on the back. "You just beat your own lap record!"

Kyoko smiled. "You keep doing that! If you keep this up, you'll smoke them on Sunday!"

"They won't know what hit 'em!" Akitaka agreed.

Rei scratched his head, grinning. "Yeah, I plan to leave 'em in the dust. But I guess we'll find out, right?"

"Right," Akitaka agreed reluctantly.

"Oh, stop it," Kyoko said teasingly to her husband. "He _is _right, you know."

The three laughed as they headed towards the parking lot, leaving the maintenance workers to take care of the motorcycle Rei had been riding.

Rei was silent as he walked, a far-off, thoughtful expression on his face. His eyes clouded over, and a small smile touched his face as he stared at something only he could see.

"Whatcha thinking about, Rei?" Kyoko asked lightly as she leaned against her van.

"Hmm?" The man snapped back to reality. "Oh…nothing."

"Liar," Akitaka said, chuckling. "I know a Kira-daze when I see one."

Rei grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess you would by now. Well, if you really want to know, I was just thinking about how things never go the way we plan. I mean, looking back to ten years ago, you never would have guessed we would end up where we are now, would you?" His voice took on a quiet, serious tone as he stared off into the sunset. "Kira and I…we're from different worlds. She was always so quiet and sweet and…_pure_. And I was…everything she wasn't. Trashy, loud, obnoxious…. Who would have thought we would end up together? And here we are, married for eight years… Yeah, it sure is funny, the way life turns out, huh?"

Kyoko smiled. "It sure is, Rei. It sure is."

Akitaka put his arm around his wife's shoulders as Rei's cell phone rang. Rei flipped it open and grinned. "Hey, Tatsuya. What's up? Whoa….slow down, buddy! Where are you? What?!? Why?!? Oh God….okay, I'm coming. I'll be there in….ten minutes." He flipped the phone shut and pocketed it with fumbling fingers.

Kyoko laid her hand on Rei's arm. "What is it, Rei? What's wrong?"

Rei drew in a shaky breath. "It's Kira….she's been in an accident….she's in critical condition at the hospital."

XXX

Harumi was sitting in a chair in the waiting room, crying quietly into her hands, and Tatsuya was sitting next to her, when Rei burst through the doors, Akitaka and Kyoko right behind him. Tatsuya jumped up to meet them.

"Where is she? Where's Kira?" Rei demanded, dangerously close to panicking. Strike that, he _was_ panicking.

"She's in the operating room," Tatsuya said quietly. "They're working on her now."

"How is she? Have they told you anything?" Kyoko asked.

"Nothing yet, but I heard one of the doctors say that…" He faltered to a halt. "Well, they said it…doesn't look good."

"It was horrible…" Harumi choked out from her chair. "I saw everything…Tatsuya was in one of the stores when it happened. A motorcycle…came around the corner. The driver was drunk or something. Kira…she swerved to keep form hitting him, and she ran into the side of a building and flew through the windshield… And the guy on the motorcycle drove off and never looked back… It all happened so fast…I was so scared!" And Harumi's face dropped back into her hands as she sobbed brokenly. Tatsuya looked just as bad.

Sighing, Rei sat down in a chair and settled in for the wait.

The hours inched along in the waiting room, which was empty except for the five who were waiting for news of Kira. Then, about two hours shy of midnight, the awaited news finally got to them.

Rei was the only one in the room who was still awake. He was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. That wall was the only thing holding him up. He had originally been pacing, but after four and a half hours his legs gave out on him and he had gone to sit down. After a bit he had tried to start pacing again, but he had only taken a few steps before he had collapsed against the wall.

The strength finally came back to his legs when the doctor came in, looking tired and haggard. "Friends and family of Kira Kashino?"

Rei pushed himself away from the wall. "That's me. How is she?"

The doctor looked at the sleeping couples and spoke in a quiet voice. "We've repaired all that can be repaired, Mr. Kashino, and she has a chance at recovery, but there is some bad news….

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I have nothing to say, except….review, please!!!

Oh, and I confess that I have no idea exactly when Rei and Kira got married, so let's pretend it was around Thanksgiving, okay?


	2. Awakened

This is probably gonna be a pretty short fic. Only a few chapters, I think. A few SHORT chapters. So for those of you who don't like my writing, rejoice in the shortness of this fic!

Oh, and by the way, I'm not good with all the medical stuff, so the medical info might not be accurate. Just bear with me, okay?

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**Chapter 2—Awakened**

Rei walked into the hospital, carrying his jacket over one arm and two giant bouquets of white roses in his hands. The bare, white walls…the reception desk where the woman handed him his good-morning coffee and told him "No change, Rei, I'm sorry"…the people that milled about, some looking sorrowful, some joyful, and all feeling slightly lost and alone…it all had become so familiar. Too familiar. He exchanged greetings with Oruki, the nurse in charge of Kira, as he did every morning. Oruki was middle-aged, but she acted as if she were a teenager.

"Good morning, Rei," the smiling nurse said. "Off to your rounds?"

"Yup. How's Kira?"

Oruki sighed sadly. "Still there. That's all I can give you, Rei."

Rei smiled. "It's okay. I'm a patient man. So I guess I'll get off to make my rounds."

"Yes, you do that. Oh, and you may want to stop by Miaka's room. She could use someone to talk to right now."

"What happened?"

"Well, she thought she would be able to visit home today—the doctor told her a week ago that she would be able to go home for the day—but last night she had a relapse. She's better today and the danger is over, but she won't take visitors, not even her parents. She'd talk to you, though. I know she would."

Rei smiled reassuringly. "I'll go see her. I'd be happy to." He took one of the roses from the bouquet and handed it to the nurse, and headed toward Miaka's room.

It was a private room, the only furniture being a bed and a night table. However, the room was livened up by a beautiful oriental vase that stood on the night table, a picture of Miaka and her parents next to it, and several pictures and a calendar on the walls. Rei saw a picture that Kira herself had painted hanging above the bed, and a lump came into his throat, but he ignored it and smiled at the small girl on the bed. She had obviously been crying, her coal-black eyes red-rimmed and bloodshot. Her long, black hair was tangled, and her face was pale and worn. She had a quilt wrapped around her, but Rei knew that underneath it her frame was thin and weak. He smiled. "Good morning, Miaka."

Miaka sniffled. "Hi, Rei. How's Kira?"

"Still no change. But I'm here to talk about you. How are you feeling?"

"All right, I guess. I want to go home, though…."

Rei laid his jacket in a chair and set his flowers down on top of it, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I know. Oruki told me about what happened. You're all right today, though?"

Miaka shrugged. "I feel all right. I just want to go home…."

Sighing, Rei pulled her into a gentle hug. He had grown especially fond of this little girl. "I know, sweets. And you will. But not today. Maybe not for a long time. But I promise that every day you're here, I'll come visit you every single day. Even when you go home, I'll still come see you at least once a week. So cheer up. You still have someone to talk to." He gave her a squeeze. "Now come on. No more crying, okay?" He wiped her tears away with a tissue and took a hairbrush from the top drawer of the night table. Smiling, he started to brush her hair as he talked to her. "I was supposed to have a daughter, you know."

"You were?"

"Mm-hmm. I sure was."

"What happened?"

"The baby died in infancy. Kira and I were devastated, but we know that someday, we'll have a baby of our own. We're going to adopt, though. Kira almost died during her last pregnancy, and I won't let it happen again. I promise, as soon as we adopt, we'll bring the kid right here to meet you. You can be like a big sister. Would you like that?"

Miaka brightened. "Oh, yes! I've always wanted to be a big sister!"

"It's settled, then. Now, tell me about you. How have things been for you?"

The two spent the next hour talking almost nonstop. Rei told Miaka all about Kira, motorcycle racing, Harumi and Tatsuya, and Kyoko and Akitaka. She, in turn, told him about how much she hated her medication and the hospital, and how much she missed home. Then he read the newspaper to her, and read two chapters from her favorite book, _Swann's Way_. Miaka was an avid reader, and she read books far beyond her grade level. Finally, somewhat reluctantly, Rei announced that he had to leave. Taking a rose from the bouquets, he placed it in the vase and kissed Miaka on the forehead. "See you soon, okay? Keep your spirits up."

For the better part of the morning, Rei visited the terminally ill patients, giving each one flower, until he had only five left. These he took to Kira's room.

Rei's days had fallen into a routine. Each day, he woke early, ate breakfast alone, and went to the hospital. He devoted each day of the week to a different unit of the hospital. Some days it was the terminally ill patients who stayed full-time at the hospital, some days it was the cancer patients, and some days it was the patients who had no permanent diseases or injuries and just needed someone to talk to while they waited to go home. He kept the vases in the rooms filled with flowers. Every day after he made his rounds, he got lunch in the hospital cafeteria, then went and visited with Kira for an hour before he went to the track until nightfall, and then he went back to the hospital and remained with his wife until visiting hours were over. When he left the hospital, he got take-out from a restaurant, ate it without really tasting it, and then went to bed. And in the morning he woke up and did it all over again.

Kira's accident had wrought a change in Rei. Only the people closest to him noticed it, but he'd changed. He had become closer to people, more in tune with the world. He had become stronger, too. Not physically—physically he was exactly the same—but emotionally, he had become the strongest person anyone, both inside the hospital and out, had ever had the fortune to meet. He was more inclined to comfort the sick and the injured, and he did what he could to help the parents of the hospital patients, as well as the patients themselves. It gave him something to do, and it kept his mind off Kira. But most importantly, by visiting the patients, Rei had learned a lesson he'd never realized he'd learned. By visiting terminally ill children like Miaka, Rei had learned to see the world, to see _life_, in a whole new light. There were people—_children_—in that hospital who had just begun to experience freedom—freedom from medicine and sickness, freedom to go outside to see the sun and feel the wind on their face—and others who had forgotten what that freedom felt like. They faced death every day without batting an eye. And all of them—so young and so _innocent_—spoke of "getting better soon" and believed that, "If I'm good enough, I'll go home soon." And every time Rei heard them say that, he wanted to cry. Some of them wouldn't ever see home again, and Rei didn't have the courage to tell them so. He began to appreciate the fact that he was alive, and healthy, and that he could always go home.

Sighing, Rei shoved the dismal thoughts out if his head, drew a deep breath, and entered the room. As usual, he stopped in the doorway, and took in the sight before him. His Kira, the love of his life, the one who had taught him how to love, still looked like an angel in her husband's eyes. Her skin was a color that barely contrasted with the snow-white sheets she lay on. Her eyes were closed, and her chest rose gently up and down as she breathed. A scar ran from the corner of her eye down to the edge of her chin, and another ran from her cheekbone down to the corner of her mouth. The quilt that was draped over her still form covered the cast that ran from her foot to her hip. Her knee had been damaged almost beyond repair, and her leg had been broken in three places. She had been through numerous surgeries in the three years since the accident. In fact, she had had her fourth surgery on her knee just two days ago. The doctors had said that, while Kira would eventually be able to walk again, the knee would never fully heal. In addition to the injuries in her knee, she had dislocated her shoulder and broken her left elbow and collarbone. And then there was the head injury, which had resulted in….Rei's new way of life. Everything but the knee had healed, but Kira was still in the coma, and there were no guarantees about when she might wake up, or even if she would wake up at all.

Only the beeping of the heart monitor broke the silence as Rei stared at Kira. Even with the scars, she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Laying his jacket down on a chair, he walked slowly across the room. Placing the five roses he still carried in the vase on the night table, he pulled a chair up close to the bed. After a solid fifteen minutes of staring at Kira, he reached out slowly and took her hand in a gentle grip.

There was something….different about today. There was no physical change in her condition, as far as Rei could see, but something in his heart told him that today was different. Perhaps that was why he felt so….nervous. Rei forced himself to take a shaky breath, and began to talk.

"Hey, love. It's me again. I'm back. I hope you aren't getting sick of me yet, but I can't just leave you here all alone. Well, you'll be glad to know that Miaka is in good spirits today. She's become sort of a project of mine, I guess. She was feeling homesick today, but I talked to her and read to her and gave her a flower, and by the time I left she was laughing and smiling with her parents. I can't wait for you to meet her. She's the sweetest thing. She's the kind of girl I want to adopt. We should think about adopting a girl like her, when you…when you wake up."

Rei blinked back tears, swallowed, and continued.

"I beat my own lap record again. I'm finally back to where I was before. For a while there, after the accident, I couldn't thing of anything but you, and my riding suffered. But then I learned to turn my thoughts to the you that I remembered. The you that smiled, and laughed, and was always so happy. I want that Kira back." He laughed quietly. "You know what I miss the most? I miss those eyes that you get when you paint. That intense, don't-mess-with-my-concentration look, you know? And that worry line you get right between your eyes, when you're trying to remember the colors of the painting. I miss those eyes more than I've ever missed anything in my life. I miss you, Kira. I want you back. Please…come back. We all miss you, and love you. We're pulling for you. All we ask is that you come back to us. Please…try. For us. If you don't want to do it for you…do it for us."

It was more of the same; he said varying versions of this to her every day.

Sighing heavily, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Kira Kashino. I love you and I miss you, and I want you back. So when you're ready…come on back. We'd all…really love it if you would."

Sighing again, he kissed her hand and laid his head down on the bed. Before he knew it, his eyes had closed, and sleep pulled him in, wrapping its arms around him and coaxing him into a land of dreams, a land where Kira was well, a land where the accident had never happened. And he embraced that dreamland, as he always had when the last three years had left him with nothing to hold on to.

XXX

Kira was floating. She felt nothing—no pain, but nothing else, either. Everything was black, blacker than any night she'd ever experienced. And as she looked around her, she saw that everything around her grew progressively blacker. Sighing, she began to close her eyes, to surrender at last to death's gentle embrace.

It had been long enough. She was ready to go now.

But something kept her there, where she was. A voice floated towards her from somewhere above her. It tickled something in the back of her mind, triggered a memory that existed somewhere inside her. But just as she began to grasp the face of the voice's owner in her mind's eye, it dissolved again. Curiosity began to eat away at her as she grasped at the memory, but it was like trying to hold water in the palm of her hand. Angrily, she gritted her teeth. _No. I can remember this. I can. Who is it? __Why can't I remember?_ The curiosity was enough to give her strength that she hadn't felt since…she couldn't remember when.

To Kira, no other life existed except for constant blackness. She had no memories other than lying in the darkness, trying to see…._something_. Anything. But now…now she had a memory. A memory that was somehow connected to this voice.

But what was it?

The need to know—to _remember_—penetrated the darkness. Finally, for the first time in this new, black life, she saw light. It was bright and penetrating and it made her eyes hurt, and out of reflex, she got up and walked toward it.

In the hospital room, Kira's hand twitched, and her eyelids fluttered, though they stayed closed.

She was coming back.

XXX

In the hospital room, Rei was still asleep, his head resting on the bed, his hand gently grasping Kira's.

A ray of sunshine fell through the window and touched Kira's face, and her eyelids fluttered.

Her return to consciousness was slow. It took nearly ten minutes for her to force her eyes halfway open. She squeezed them closed and opened them again, trying to bring the room into focus. Slowly, her eyes drifted down to rest on her husband's face, and a small smile touched her lips. Very slowly, she raised her hand, ran it through Rei's long hair, and dropped it back onto the bed.

The gentle touch was enough to wake Rei, and he slowly turned his head and opened is eyes. It was several moments before he registered what he was seeing.

Kira's eyes were open, looking at him. There was a tiny smile on her lips as she looked at him.

"K-Kira?" Rei gasped. "You…Kira? You're…" He faltered and stopped to pull himself together, trying to remember how to breathe. "Oh God…Kira…please tell me I'm not dreaming…"

Kira didn't say anything. She just squeezed his hand. After several moments, she opened her mouth. "Rei?" The single syllable turned into a dry cough that wracked her thin, weakened frame. Rei could do nothing but hold her hand. When the spasm passed, Kira settled back onto her pillow and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Without taking his eyes away from Kira's face, Rei fumbled for a button on the wall, and pressed. "Stay with me, Kira," he murmured. "Promise me, just don't leave me again."

Nodding, Kira squeezed his hand in a bone-crushing grip, as if that hold on his hand would keep her anchored to the bed. That kept Kira where she was until Oruki came rushing in. Her eyes widened as she took in the scene before her.

"She's awake, Oruki," Rei whispered, as though speaking aloud might shatter the glorious reality he'd found himself in. "She's finally awake."

"I'll go get the doctor," Oruki said, and she was gone, to return with a doctor minutes later.

"Kira?" Rei inquired quietly, as the nurse and the doctor entered. "Kira, the doctor's going to look at you, all right? I'll be out in the hall. I have a couple of phone calls to make. I'll back as soon as the doctor is finished, all right?"

Not wanting to try talking again just yet, Kira nodded and loosened her grip on Rei's hand. Smiling reassuringly at her, Rei went out into the hall.

He passed a shaky hand over his eyes, brushing away his tears. Then he took out his cell phone and dialed quickly. "Hi, Kyoko? It's Rei. I can't come to the track today, all right? Yeah, I know, but Kira woke up! I know! I'm trying to convince myself that I must be dreaming, but it's all real! Listen, tell Akitaka to call Tatsuya and Harumi. I gave him their number. Okay. Okay, I'll call you when she's up to visitors. Thanks, Kyoko. See you later. Bye."

Then he started to return to Kira's room, but then he remembered something. And before he knew it, he was heading in the direction of Miaka's room. And before he could stop himself, he's broken into a run. As he passed the nurse's station, he let out a whoop. "WHOOHOO! LIFE IS GOOD! THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE!"

He stopped in Miaka's doorway, where the girl was sitting on her bed, talking to her parents. Everyone jumped when Rei ran in, grabbed Miaka, and gave her a bone-crushing hug. "She's awake, Miaka! Kira's awake!"

Miaka gasped, and hugged him back. "Oh, I'm so glad! I knew she'd be back! I just _knew_ it! Oh, when can I meet her? Is she all right?"

"The doctor is with her now. I promise you can meet her as soon as she's up to visitors."

"Really? Oh, yay! Mommy, Daddy, she's awake!"

"It would seem so," Miaka's mother said, laughing. "That's wonderful, Mr. Kashino."

Laughing, Rei gave Miaka another squeeze. "Spread the word, okay?"

"Will do. Daddy, can you get me my wheelchair?"

Rei hadn't felt this happy since the day they'd signed the marriage papers. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he returned to Kira's room, and with another breath, he peeked in.

Oruki had gone back to the nurse's station, and the doctor, who was now on a first-name basis with Rei, was writing on a clipboard. Dr. Ryo Sakuma was a young man, only two years older than Rei, but his hair already showed a few streaks of gray, which Rei guessed had been left with the death of each of his patients. Kira was staring out the window, wearing the look of one who felt lost and incredibly alone.

"Ryo?"

The doctor looked up, and smiled. "Rei. Just in time. I was just explaining to Kira exactly what's happened to her. I'll leave you two alone, but don't keep her awake too long, all right? She needs rest. And before you leave, come and find me. I need to talk to you before you go."

"Will do. Thanks, Ryo."

Kira didn't seem to hear a word of the exchange. After Dr. Sakuma had left, Rei stood and stared at Kira for a long time. Then, slowly, he walked across the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Kira?"

Silence. Sighing, Rei took her hand, and waited for her to say something. Finally, she looked at him, and the look in her eyes wasn't one he would soon forget. "Three years, Rei."

"I know, sweetie. I know. It was hard for both of us."

"I missed out on three years of my life because of a drunk motorcyclist. Everything from the accident is fuzzy, except for the motorcycle. I even remember what the guy's helmet said. Oh, God, Rei…."

Kira's shoulders began to shake. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Rei reached out and pulled her close. He didn't say anything—he just held her, and kissed her forehead. At last, after half an hour, her shaking subsided, and her sobs died. Rei continued to hold her, whispering to her, telling her that everything would be all right. When he finally let go of her, she leaned back against her pillows and smiled at him. "I'm all right. The doctor told me everything—about my knee injury, and everything. I just…lost it for a minute. I'll be fine. I'm just tired."

"Oh…okay. I'll go, then. So you can sleep." Rei started to get up, but Kira grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

"No…please, stay. Just for a little while, until I fall asleep. I want to talk to you. I don't care what you talk about. Just…talk."

Rei smiled at Kira, stretched out next to her on the bed, and pulled her into his arms. Stroking her hair, he began to talk, about his racing career, and about Tatsuya and Harumi's recent vacation to America. He didn't even stop to think about what he said. The words just came.

Neither of them ever really remembered exactly what time they fell asleep. All they knew was that, when they finally woke up, morning sunshine was falling through the window, and birds were singing and chirping, welcoming the new day.

Sometime during the night, Oruki came in to change Kira's IV, and she found both of them asleep. Knowing is was strictly against the hospital rules, she closed the door and warned the other nurses not to disturb the sleeping couple.

XXX

When Rei awoke, the first thing he saw was Kira's sleeping face. Confused, he looked around the room. _Why_…._? _He groaned. _Must have fallen asleep_…. And with that thought came the rest of yesterday's events. It all came rushing back with such clarity that he _knew_, just _knew_, that it hadn't been a dream, and Rei felt a small smile touch his face as he looked at Kira. He just lay there, watching her, until she woke up about half an hour later. Her eyes opened slowly, and met his.

He leaned down and kissed her softly. "Morning."

"Mmm….morning. What time is it?"

"Erm….almost noon," Rei said, glancing at the clock as he sat up. "I'm sorry….did I fall asleep on you?"

"If you did I didn't notice," Kira replied. She seemed to be in better spirits today. She sat up, slowly, and Rei propped her pillows at her back. "You'd think that, after sleeping for three years straight, I'd never need or want to sleep again."

Rei laughed. "You'd think that." He kissed her forehead, his face once again serious. "It's good to have you back, Kira. I've missed you."

Kira smiled at him, but didn't comment. After a moment, she said, "I'm starving. Where's Oruki?"

"Probably at the nurses' station. She'll be in soon."

"I'll be in _now_, Rei," a voice said from the door. "Good morning, you two."

Rei grinned. "Morning, Oruki. Where's Ryo?"

"_Dr. Sakuma_," Oruki growled, her eyes dancing merrily, "is making his rounds. He'll be in soon to talk to you two. And Rei, didn't Dr. Sakuma say you weren't supposed to keep Kira awake? You were supposed to leave when visiting hours were over and I come here in the middle of the night and find you sleeping in the bed!" She whacked him playfully with a rolled-up newspaper. "We keep the beds for our patients, Rei!"

Kira began to giggle as she watched Rei try to fend off the newspaper. "Ow!" he yelped. "What the hell is wrong with you, old lady?"

"Who are you calling old, _Mr_. Kashino? I'll have you know that I am forty years _young_ as of yesterday! And you will mind your tongue when you speak to me, boy!" _Whack, whack, whack_.

"Ouch! Jeez! Okay, fine! You aren't old! Ow!"

"Well, I'm glad to see Kira laughing," a voice said from the doorway. A deep chuckle accompanied the statement as Dr. Sakuma stepped into the room. "However, I cannot allow you to kill this young lady's husband, Oruki."

"Morning, Ryo. Ow! Dr. Sakuma! I meant Dr. Sakuma! Ouch! I said Dr. Sakuma! Stop hitting me!" Rei yelped.

Oruki finally obliged, putting the newspaper on the table next to Kira's bed.

Dr. Sakuma, laughing, walked over to the bed. "How are you feeling this morning, Kira?"

Kira took a deep breath as her giggles subsided. "I'll tell you as soon as I can stop laughing at Rei." She laughed as Rei glared at her. "I feel…okay. Exhausted, and my leg hurts a little, but I'm all right, I guess."

"Well, all that is to be expected. The fact that you're awake and coherent is enough for all of us just now. Anyway, I just wanted to give you a bit of an idea about what's going to happen now that Sleeping Beauty has awakened."

Everyone in the room laughed, and Kira blushed.

Dr. Sakuma smiled, and continued. "We'll give you a few days to rest up and get used to everything again. You're probably going to feel like you're on an emotional roller coaster, and that's to be expected. The feeling will pass with time. At the beginning of next week, we'll start your testing."

"Testing?" Rei asked. "What kind of testing?"

"We need to run some physical and psychological tests, to make sure everything is in order and that you'll recover fully, which I'm sure you will. After you get the test results, you should be able to go home and begin your recovery. The cast on your leg will come off in about two weeks, and we'll put a brace on it. After those two weeks are over, we'll start talking about physical therapy. I think your knee has seen its last surgery, at least for quite a while, and it'll need help healing. Also, your muscles will be severely weakened due to their lack of use. But I foresee no difficulties with your recovery, as long as you cooperate and try your best to get better. Can you do that?"

Kira nodded. "I will, I promise."

"All right. Now, you have some visitors. Are you ready to see them?"

Smiling, Kira nodded. "You bet I am."

So Dr. Sakuma opened the door, and Harumi immediately ran in and threw herself at Kira, grabbing her friend in a fierce hug. "You scared me to death, Kira!" she cried.

Kira returned the embrace with a gentle one of her own. "Hi, Harumi."

"It that all you have to say?" Harumi chided, giggling and pulling back. "You scare me half to death and then sleep for three years and all you can say is 'Hi, Harumi'?"

"Erm…hi, Harumi and Tatsuya?"

"That's better," Tatsuya said, coming forward and hugging Kira gently.

Kira hugged him back. "Hi."

"Hi yourself, Slee—"

"Don't you dare call me Sleeping Beauty," Kira said, cutting him off and smiling. There was another burst of laughter, and then Dr. Sakuma and Oruki left, shutting the door behind them.

"Where are Akitaka and Kyoko?" Kira asked. "I want to know what's _really_ been happening with Rei's racing career."

"Are you calling me a liar?" Rei asked, pretending to be hurt.

"Yes, Rei," Kira said, her face serious, though her eyes sparkled. "Yes I am."

Rei grinned and leaned down to kiss her. "Well, okay then."

Tatsuya and Harumi stayed until a little after two o'clock, and then Akitaka and Kyoko came and stayed for an hour. After they left, Kira took a nap, and Rei sat with her and read a newspaper until she woke up. At six o'clock, one of the nurses came in with a dinner tray and left.

Kira wrinkled her nose as she uncovered the tray. "I am _not_ eating that," she said, and covered the tray back up. "So who's this Miaka girl?"

Rei stared at her, his eyes wide. "How do you know about Miaka?"

"I heard you talking about her before I woke up. You wanna tell me about her?"

"You….heard me?"

"You talked, I listened. It's marriage, hon. Now spill your guts."

So Rei sat with her until visiting hours were over, telling Kira all about Miaka and the other patients at the hospital. When Oruki popped in and told them visiting hours were over, Rei almost refused to leave. But Kira saw his look, and smiled. "It's all right. You can't stay here all night, anyway. I'll be fine. Go on."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Go on. I'll see you tomorrow."

"All right. I'm going." He glanced at the dinner tray in disgust. "And I'm bringing you real food, too. I'll sneak you in a burger, okay?"

"Oh, God will bless you if you do, and so will I." She pulled him down for a kiss, and smiled. "Now get going, before Oruki takes the newspaper to you again."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Of course I am. See you later."

But after Rei left, Kira began to feel lost, and alone. Pulling a pillow over her face to muffle her sobs, she cried all the loneliness and despair and fear out of her system, and allowed herself to be pulled into a land of dark nightmares—a land where she floated on a black sea of darkness.

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I almost had myself crying for a while there…. Anyway, review, please!


	3. Visitor

I just realized I forgot to put the disclaimer on the first two chapters! So just so's ya know, I DON'T OWN THE CHARACTERS IN THIS FIC!!! Well, I do own Oruki and Dr. Sakuma, and Miaka too, but they aren't really a big part of the story so I don't count them.

Also, I have _no idea_ what Kira's stepfather's name is….so how's about we just call him Mr. Aso, okies? I know that's most likely not his real name but I don't remember it ever being mentioned in the manga and I don't feel like going through all the books searching for his name so….yeah.

There isn't much point to this chapter. I just thought it'd be a nice touch, and I had to have _something _happen to the perverted bastard that is Kira's stepfather (formerly). I could have posted this as a separate fic but I figured it'd fit well into this one. Don't try to follow my logic….it won't work. But I hope you enjoy it.

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**Chapter 3—Visitor**

Kira was sitting on her bed, leaning back against the pillows and reading a _Better Homes and Gardens _magazine, when Rei came in at three the next day after he'd finished visiting every single patient in the hospital and gone to get some lunch. Kira looked up when he entered.

"Please tell me that's real food in your hand and not just another lousy attempt to make me think life in a hospital is worth living," she said, looking as though she would kill for a decent meal.

Rei laughed. "It was real food when I ate it." He set the white paper bag he was carrying on the night table. "Believe it or not, there isn't a single place in this entire city that can sell you a decent burger, so I got tacos instead."

"Angel! Saint! I don't think I've ever loved you as much as I do right at this moment…" Kira grabbed for the bag and unwrapped a taco, kissing Rei on the cheek as she did. "Hi."

"You're happy today," Rei commented, sitting down in a chair.

"I'm faking it," Kira replied without hesitation, cramming half a burrito in her mouth. "I hate this place already."

Rei smiled. "I know. But hang in there. You'll be out of here soon enough. Ryo told me that you can't leave the hospital for a little over two weeks because the tests will take longer than they thought and after that they want you to stay at the hospital for the first few days of physical therapy in case anything goes wrong, but there's good news, too. They told me you could start your testing in two days, if you're rested up enough, and then you can start therapy and go home all the sooner. I told Ryo I'd run it by you."

Kira shrugged. "I guess so. I feel rested enough right now, but Oruki said to give it another couple of days."

While she had been talking, Kira had eaten two more burritos and a soft taco supreme, and she had just started in on the nachos when she looked up and saw Rei staring at her, with a small smile on his face. Kira smiled back and continued eating, but after she'd eaten all the nachos and the last taco in the bag, she looked up again and her husband was still staring at her.

"What?" she asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "Do I…have something on my face?"

Rei smiled a bit more, and shook his head. "No. It's a perfect face." He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned down to give her a long, slow kiss that made her heart beat at twice its normal rate. He started to pull back, but she took a quick breath and pulled him back for another kiss.

"Ahem. Are we…interrupting something here?"

Rei waved at the group at the door, signaling them to come in, but he didn't break the kiss with Kira until Akitaka, Kyoko, Tatsuya, and Harumi were all sitting down.

"Well, Kira…" Kyoko said, after a moment. "Looks like you're feeling better."

Kira nodded, smiling. "Sorry about that, guys," she said, not looking sorry at all. In fact, she was positively _glowing_.

"You're happy," Harumi commented, as Rei had. "Did…something good happen…?"

Kira nodded. "I got kissed!"

Everyone in the room laughed, and Rei leaned forward and kissed Kira again. The others, expecting nothing less from their friend, became immediately and surprisingly engrossed in discussing the paint on the walls and the fine weather they were having lately.

Kira and Rei, meanwhile, didn't notice the others talking. They were in their own world right now, and they didn't break their kiss until they were pulled back to Earth by a voice from the doorway. "Kira."

Slowly, Kira pulled out of Rei's arms to look at the doorway. She knew that voice….

Rei followed her gaze, and his eyes immediately hardened. Harumi, Tatsuya, Akitaka, and Kyoko were all staring, too, as Kira's stepfather (former) stepped into the room, carrying a bouquet of flowers and a jacket over one arm. He still looked the same, except he has a few more wrinkles and more gray in his hair. The relieved smile on his face disappeared and was replaced by a scowl when he saw Rei. "You're still with him, then?"

"What are you doing here?" Kira asked, her voice soft and strained.

Mr. Aso didn't reply, and the silence stretched to the breaking point as a full five minutes passed with no one saying a word. The tense atmosphere was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"I asked you a question," Kira said at last, her voice holding a biting edge of impatience, anger underlying her tone. Inside, she was trembling, but she had vowed long ago to never allow herself to show fear around this man, if she was ever to meet him again. And now she had.

Still Mr. Aso said nothing. Kira waited patiently, until at last he spoke. "I…heard you were in an accident…I was concerned…"

"Oh, please," Kira snapped. "So concerned that it took you _three years_ to come and check on me? No way. What do you _really _want?"

Once again, silence. Then… "I…want to be a part of your life again, Kira."

Rei opened his mouth, but Kira laid a hand on his arm. She fixed her the man with a glare that truly made everyone in the room reconsider the belief that looks _couldn't_, in fact, kill.

"Why? So you can come after me again? You're an old man now. And yet….you _still_ want me? Moron. Perverted, hopeless, pathetic _moron_."

Everyone was, needless to say, shocked. None of the have _ever_ heard Kira speak so harshly before. But Rei could feel her hand trembling in his.

"Kira, please, listen…."

"No, you listen! For once in your life, _you_ are going to listen to _me_. Do you realize how stupidly insane you are? I haven't seen or heard from you since I was seventeen years old. _Twelve years_. And I was happy with that. With you out of my life and ignoring me, I was free—from my past, and from the man I hated more than I ever knew it was possible to hate. And now suddenly, ten years after my mother died and three years after I survived a life-threatening car accident, you—the man who raped me when I was fourteen, walked away without ever accepting the consequences, and then tried to keep me away from the only man who ever loved me and kept me safe _and_ sane—you suddenly want me to accept you and let you back into my life?" Kira shook her head. "No. You crazy, mixed-up fool. It won't happen."

"Kira…can't we put all that behind us? It was such a long time ago—"

Kira very nearly snapped at that. "For _you_ it was a long time ago, because _you_ enjoyed it! But for me it was yesterday! I remember all of it! _Everything_! And I can _never_ forgive you for hurting me the way you did! SO LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU PERVERTED BASTARD!" She was screaming by the time she reached the last sentence.

Mr. Aso took a few steps toward the bed. "Kira…"

In a flash, Kyoko, Harumi, Akitaka, Tatsuya, and Rei had formed a half-circle around the bed. Rei glared at Mr. Aso. "Get. Out."

"What? You can't—"

"Watch me. When you came up against me last time, the only thing that saved Kira was my father's influence. But I don't need him to fight my battles anymore. One of my best friends at the racetrack, and a great fan of Kira's art, is one of the best lawyers in Tokyo. And besides that, I have a friend at the police department who will put me in touch with people who will fry your ass in court if you so much as walk down the street in front of our apartment building. And Kira and I both have something to our names now. People _respect _us. They'll be on our side. And while I know you deny the fear that you're feeling, I see it in your eyes. Now get out. Get away from my wife. And stay away from her. You're done. Finished. So go."

"Is there a problem here, gentlemen?"

Rei looked towards the door. "Ryo…how long have you been standing there?"

Dr. Sakuma's face was a mask as he stepped into the room. "Long enough. Kira…did this man really rape you?"

Kira stared at him. "Y-yes."

"How long ago?"

"F-fifteen years…."

"And was he ever formally accused of the crime?"

"No…"

"Are you ready to press charges against him now?"

Kira stared at him as if he'd grown two more heads. "I…never thought about it. I…well, if I can, I will…"

Ryo nodded. "Good. Sir, I have a police officer visiting a patient here who'd be more than happy to escort you to the police station. He doesn't deal with charges like this one but I'm sure he'll refer you to someone who can. He's in the lobby. He came to see Kira, as a matter of fact. His name is—"

"Officer Okuda!" Kira suddenly said. "What took him so long?"

Ryo smiled at her. "He's been in America since a year before the accident. He only just got the news."

"He called to check up on me," Rei said to Kira. "And I told him about you. I guess he finally moved back to Japan. Ryo, can you ask him to come back after he escorts Papa Dearest to the station? I'd like to see him."

"Sure thing. Get in touch with that lawyer friend of yours, Rei. You'll be needing him."

XXX

The day before Kira was supposed to go home, the case was decided. Rei brought her a newspaper clipping about the hearing. The headline was "Fifteen-Year-Old Case Finally Closed." Kira read it aloud to Dr. Sakuma, Oruki, Harumi, Tatsuya, Kyoko, and Akitaka listened.

"'An interesting case was brought before the court two weeks ago. Artist Kira Kashino has pressed charges against her stepfather, who raped her fifteen years ago, when she was fourteen years old. She has let it go for fifteen years, but she finally brought the case to the attention of the court with the help of Dr. Ryo Sakuma and lawyer Toji Asahi, and with the support of husband Rei Kashino (for full details of Kashino's most recent victory on the racetrack, see Sports).

"'Mrs. Kashino first chose to press charges when Aso (stepfather) arrived in her hospital room (Mrs. Kashino having been involved in a car accident which left her in a comatose state) and stated that he wished to once again be a part of his stepdaughter's life. Mrs. Kashino refused, mentioning her history with Aso, including details of the rape. Dr. Ryo Sakuma was standing outside the door when Kira spoke of said rape.

"'I heard everything,' Dr. Sakuma states. 'There was no lie in this girl's voice. She told the truth only for her stepfather's ears, and for the ears of her friends who knew of the incident, and it was by fortune that I happened to be outside the door.'

"'Dr. Sakuma appeared as a witness in court and repeated all that Kira had said to her stepfather. Mrs. Kashino wrote all the details of her rape for her lawyer, Toji Asahi, who in turn presented the document to the court. Rei Kashino also appeared in court, and explained about Kira's early fears of any kind of sexual activity.

"'She freaked out every time we came close to going beyond kissing,' Kashino stated. 'She was so scared, even of me. I remember one time, I was kissing her, and I put my hand under her shirt to rub her back, and she just started screaming, told me not to touch her. It was obvious that someone had raped her, or tried to. And when I asked her, she told me it was her stepfather, but she wouldn't go to the police. She was still scared. Of _him_.'

"'After these statements were heard, Aso pleaded guilty of the charges. By the unanimous vote of the jury, he was found guilty of the rape of a fourteen-year-old girl. His sentence is to be decided today. See next issue for details of the sentencing.'"

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So yeah, there's that chapter. Now I'm going to post it and go to bed…. So tired….


	4. Changes

**Chapter 4—Changes**

At ten o'clock the next morning, Rei checked Kira out of the hospital with Dr. Sakuma's approval. Harumi was there when he got up to the room, helping Kira throw all of her clothes and books into one of Rei's sports bags. All the flowers she'd been given were tied together with a red ribbon and placed in a large oriental vase.

"I am _so glad_ to be out of that godforsaken hospital gown," Kira was saying to Harumi. "Those things _itch_. And they're ugly…."

"You look great," Rei said, stepping into the room and kissing Kira on the cheek. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah. I just wanna say goodbye to Miaka. Can we go to her room really quick?"

Rei grinned. "Sure. I haven't been to see her as much as I used to, so it'll be good for all of us." He kissed her on the cheek. "And you've only gotten to see her once, and even then you didn't to get to talk to her much."

"I'll go get a wheelchair," Harumi said, and disappeared from the room. However, Kira reached for her crutches.

"What are you doing?" Rei demanded.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to see Miaka."

"But….her room's all the way on the other side of the hospital….and this is your first day on crutches….the doctor said you're not even supposed to be on them yet!"

"I don't give a damn what the doctor says," Kira hissed angrily. "I am _not_ going to let this accident change my life, and I am _not _going to sit in that wheelchair when these things will get me across the hospital just fine. Exercise will help the knee, the doctor said so, and if _anything_ will help me get better faster then I'm going to start _anything_ right here and now." And with that, she began to make her way slowly towards the door. In the doorway, she stopped and turned around, the irritated look still on her face. "Are you coming or not?" she snapped.

Rei opened his mouth as she disappeared into the hall. He shut it, then opened it again. After doing so several times, he smiled and shook his head. _And she says I haven't rubbed off on her_…

XXX

Miaka was alone when Rei and Kira got to her room. Her parents wouldn't be there until after work, the doctor had just finished his morning rounds, and the nurse wouldn't be in for another hour. She looked up when they entered.

"Kira!"

"Hi, Miaka," Kira said, propping her crutches against the wall and sitting down in a chair by the wall. "How're you feeling?"

"Bored. When did you start using crutches?"

"This morning," Rei replied, before Kira had even opened her mouth. "She's not _supposed_ to, but she is."

"I just came to say goodbye before I go home," Kira said, as though she hadn't heard a word of the exchange.

"…Oh." Miaka's face fell. "Oh, um…bye."

"Don't look like that," Kira said. "I'll come back and see you after every therapy session."

'Yeah…"

"And I'll come see you every week," Rei added. "I promised, remember?"

"Yeah, you did…"

"And haven't I always kept my promises to you so far?"

"Yeah, you have…"

"So what reason could I have for not keeping this one?"

"…No reason that I can think of…"

Rei grinned, satisfied. "Okay, then."

Miaka smiled. "Okay." She turned to Kira. "Have you started any more paintings lately?"

Kira shook her head. "No. But I promise I'll tell you as soon as I do, okay?"

"You'd better," Miaka said. "I love your paintings….I want to be an artist someday, too." And she was off, explaining about how she was going to try for a scholarship to art school, as soon as she "got out of this place" and got her parents to allow her out of their sight for ten seconds. Smiling slightly, Rei slipped quietly out of the room.

"How's she doing?" Oruki asked, outside the door.

Rei grinned. "Great. She's in there talking Kira's ear off about art school."

Oruki peeked in. "Good. Let's go get some coffee. Dr. Sakuma wants to talk to you about Kira's therapy schedule."

XXX

"I'm not going to lie to you," Dr. Sakuma said, taking a sip of his coffee. "This is going to be hard on the both of you. Kira's knee if in bad shape, and her recovery will be long and very difficult. She's only had three therapy sessions so far and they're already taking a toll on her. The only way she'll get through all of this is if you're there for her."

"I will be," Rei said without hesitation. "I—"

"I know you'll do your best," Dr. Sakuma cut in. "But your work takes you away from home sometimes, doesn't it? And you spend up to fifteen hours a day at the track, Kira says. How will you balance all of this and still manage to take care of your wife?"

"Kira is my first priority, you know that," Rei said angrily. "I've got it all worked out with Akitaka, okay? Just let me handle it. We'll be fine." He stood up, drained his coffee, and checked his watch. "I'm gonna go see if Kira's ready to go. See you guys next week." And he walked quickly away.

"I'm sorry, Rei," Dr. Sakuma called after him. "I didn't mean to make you mad."

Rei didn't reply, but he waved behind him in a "whatever" gesture. Ryo sighed. "Well, as long as you aren't angry…."

XXX

Miaka's mouth was still going a mile a minute when Rei returned to her room. She stopped talking when Rei came in, and smiled. "Hi!"

"What'd Dr. Sakuma say?" Kira asked.

"Nothing we haven't heard before. Ready to go?"

"Yeah." Kira grabbed her crutches and stood slowly. "See you next week, Miaka."

"Bye." Miaka spoke with a much brighter tone this time. "Take care, Kira."

XXX

Out in the parking lot, Rei threw Kira's bags in the back of his Mercedes helped her into the front seat. He saw her grimace as she shifted her bad leg. "You okay?" he asked as he started the car.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah…I'm fine. Just…therapy's a killer, and yesterday was worse than the other days for some reason. I guess I'm just starting to feel the effects. Did Harumi leave?"

"I ran into her on the way back to Miaka's room. She went to go meet Tatsuya somewhere. Are you sure you're okay?"

Kira smiled at him. "Yeah. I'm fine." She buckled her seatbelt. "I just need some time to get back to where I was before."

Just before they pulled onto the highway, Rei leaned over and kissed Kira on the forehead. "I love you. Just keep trying, okay? You'll get there, babe. You'll get there."

XXX

**Earlier, at Akitaka's place….**

"Kyoko, where's Rei?" Akitaka demanded. "We wanted to get a really early start today because of the race tomorrow and he's not here. We need to get to the track…."

"Kira's coming home today, remember?" Kyoko replied from the depths of the quilt in which she'd shrouded herself in an effort to get a bit more sleep. "I'm sure he'll be here once she's settled in at home."

"Oh….yeah….she's coming home today, isn't she?"

"Yeah, now go away and lemme sleep…." Kyoko muttered.

Akitaka grinned devilishly and poked his wife in the side. "Nah, why would I do that? You should be up, too."

"Sweetie? I love ya and all, but…." A hand wandered out from the quilt, snatched the alarm clock from the bedside table, and shoved it in Akitaka's face. "IT'S FIVE-THIRTY IN THE MORNING, DAMN IT!" A foot managed to find its way off the bed to give its owner's husband a swift kick in the knee.

Akitaka opened his mouth to retort, but his cell phone interrupted him. Sighing, he flipped it open and stepped into the hall. "Yeah?"

"Hey."

"Rei! Where are you? You were supposed to be here at five to drive to the track, remember? Race tomorrow? Early start? We have time for a quick run before you take Kira home, if we leave for the track now—"

"Yeah, about that…" Rei sounded uncomfortable as he spoke.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I'm…thinking about taking a break from racing for a while."

"What do you mean, take a break?"

"I mean, lay off riding until Kira's back on her feet."

"But—"

"Look, it's not permanent. It's not even for a long time. I just…Kira needs me right now, a lot more than the track does. This accident and the therapy have been really tough on her, and I want to be there for her. My riding will go down the tubes anyway, I'll be worrying so much about Kira all the time. So, when her physical therapy is finished and she's fine on her own for a while, I'll come back to the track." There was genuine regret in his voice. "Sorry, buddy, but Kira's more important to me than anything. So…is it too late to pull out of the race?"

Akitaka sighed. "No. I'll get you out of it. And I understand, okay? Take care of Kira. I'll handle the reporters…they're bound to be at tomorrow's race and they're bound to notice that you aren't there. I'll have to deal with them…thanks a lot, man…some friend you are…."

Rei laughed. "Thanks. See ya later. Drop by tomorrow, if you want."

"We will. Later."

XXX

**Back at the Kashino's after they get home….**

"Why would you do that?" Kira demanded. "Stupid!"

"Because you need me more than the track does," Rei replied, throwing a blanket over Kira and handing her the TV remote. "I think they're showing some of Harumi's newest designs on channel twelve."

Kira took the remote but didn't take her eyes off her husband's face. "Go call Akitaka back. Tell him you've changed your mind. I…you don't have to adjust your life to mine."

Rei was silent for a moment. Then he sat down and pulled her close. "Yes I do. And it's not like it's forever. It's only temporary. Once you're back on your feet and you're feeling better, I'll go back to the track. And my riding will be shot, anyway, I'll be so worried about you sitting at home by yourself."

"But still…" Kira protested into his chest.

"Kira, look at me." After a moment, Kira obeyed, and Rei returned her gaze with a serious one of his own. "For now, this _is_ my life. You're my first priority, and the _only_ thing I need. So stop saying I'm adjusting my life to yours. If you think I haven't been doing that since we were sixteen years old, you need to get with the program, because it's what I've always done, and I'm _happy_ doing it. _You_ are my life—forever and always, love."

Kira buried her face in her husband's chest as tears forced their way out of her eyes. Smiling slightly, Rei held her, rocking her slightly. Then, as her tears subsided, he leaned back and looked at her. Reaching up, he gently brushed the last of her tears away, a soft smile on his lips. "How is it that you even manage to look beautiful when you're crying your eyes out?"

He kissed her gently, and stood up, tucking the blanket around her again and giving back the remote. "Now, go to channel twelve and call Harumi and you can spend the next two hours squealing, 'Rumi, can you make _me_ a skirt like that? I can't afford the one on TV….'" He grinned at her.

Kira grinned back, sniffling. "I do _not_ talk like that."

Still grinning, Rei went to the kitchen to make himself some lunch, praying silently that he wouldn't burn the house down in the process.

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Okay, after this, just one more chapter to go, and then it's on to the sequel. Read and review, please!


	5. Scars

**Chapter 5—Scars **

At last, at long last, Kira's therapy sessions ended. On the last day, Rei took her out to dinner at her favorite restaurant to celebrate, and then drove her home. They watched TV for a while, and after an hour or so Rei glanced at Kira, who was lying with her head on his chest and his arm around her, and saw that she was asleep. And for a moment, something inside him hurt, and he had the strangest impulse to wake her up. However, he simply slid his arm out from under her and stood. Scribbling a note to Kira, he threw his coat on and left to see Tatsuya.

Tatsuya had the day off work, and he came right to the door of he and Harumi's apartment when Rei knocked. "Rei! Hey! Kira's last day of therapy, huh? Where is she?"

"Asleep at home," Rei replied, dropping onto the sofa. "I thought I'd get out for a while and come see what you were up to."

Tatsuya tossed Rei a can of soda and sat down next to him. "So how're you two doing?"

"Kira's great," Rei replied. "She seems really happy. I don't know how she does it…I'd hate the world if it was me."

"She's strong," Tatsuya replied. "A lot stronger than either of us. What about you?"

"What about me?" Rei asked uncomfortably.

"C'mon. We're best friends. You can't hide anything from me—something's bothering you. What is it?"

Rei sighed. "It's…nothing. I'm just…I keep thinking about how close I came to losing her. She means the world to me, and she almost died. And now…it's like nothing's changed for her. She's still…Kira. _My_ Kira. I almost lost that Kira. And now…every time I watch her sleep…I can't help but wonder if…if she'll ever wake up."

Then, at last—after over three years of holding all his tears inside—Rei finally felt something break loose, and he cried—for himself, but mostly for Kira. She had been broken by her stepfather, so long ago, and now this. And worse, perhaps worst of all, was not that it had happened, but that she had done _nothing _to deserve what she had gotten. She was like a piece of white paper, and the sins of the world were the ink that that paper was soaking up. She was paying for what other people had done; it had to be that, because she had done nothing herself that would merit such punishment as she had been given.

And that, Rei thought, was the most horrible and unfair thing he could ever remember witnessing.

XXX

When Rei returned to his apartment after night had fallen, it was to find Kira still asleep, but she was thrashing and crying out, tangled in the sheets. He ran quickly over to the bed and sat down, shaking Kira gently. "Kira, sweetie….wake up. Wake up, it's okay. It's just a nightmare. Wake up…"

Kira's eyes opened, and she stared at him, sweating and shaking. "Rei…" she gasped. "Oh, Rei, it's you…"

Nodding, Rei sat down on the bed as Kira sat up. He took her hand. "What happened?"

"N-nothing. It was just a nightmare, that's all."

"Wanna tell me about it?"

Kira nodded slowly, and Rei stretched out on the bed, taking her into his arms. Still shaking slightly, Kira said, "I've been having nightmares for awhile…since I woke up, actually, and they're always the same—me, just lying there in the dark. Everything's pitch black, and I'm just lying there. But always end with me hearing your voice, or feeling your arms around me, and waking up. But this time, everything just kept getting darker and darker, and I felt myself…dying. Just losing energy, and losing the will to fight. And I just…went away. Right there, in the dark, I just died. And then I was floating, and I was at my funderal, and you were standing there, crying, and Harumi and Tatsuya were, too, and my stepfather was there… And I tried to reach out and touch you, but my hand went right through you, and then I was floating away, and I was crying and screaming for you, saying 'I'm right here, I'm here!' and you were looking down at the gravestone and saying, 'Don't go!'" Kira shuddered and buried her face in Rei's chest.

Rei tightened his hold on her. "It's okay, Kira…I'm here…and you're here…and we're together. Nothing is going to happen to you, I swear. _Nothing._ I'm always here to protect you, and I'll never leave you alone again, I promise."

Kira moved, if it was possible, even closer to her husband. "I know you want to change before you go to bed, but…please…could you just stay here with me? For a while? Don't leave, okay?"

Rei's hold reached the bone-crushing point. "I've been here all along, love. I'm not leaving. Now or ever. I love you."

After Kira finally fell asleep, Rei couldn't bring himself to move her so he could get up and change clothes. So he just lay there for a while, watching her sleep, and hoping—_knowing_—that this would be the end of her nightmares.

He'd thought he'd cried all his tears at Tatsuya's house, but he found now that he was wrong. He lay there, holding Kira, and cried, at the same time silently begging God not to ask anymore of his precious and only love.

And he knew they couldn't forget.

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Okay _really_ short chapter, but who cares? I'm FINISHED!!! Now on to the sequel. It will be titled _Rise of a Broken Angel_. Review, please! Pretty please with _sucre _on top, I will-a stop talking like zis!


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